MIRROR
CALENDAR | Check out the Oct. 2 season premiere for the FW Symphony [7]
SPORTS | Prep wrap: Golf, tennis, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011 soccer, volleyball, cross country [10]
BREAKING NEWS | Go online for the latest news [federalwaymirror.com]
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FW police will hire 7 more officers
CRIME BLOTTER | Suicidal wife grabs box cutter before jumping out the window [2]
School closes gap in student achievement
BY ANDY HOBBS
Sacajawea M.S. finds a plan that works
editor@federalwaymirror.com
Federal Way will hire more police officers to patrol the city. This week, the Federal Way Police Department was awarded a grant of $807,345 from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. The new grant will fill three positions that were originally frozen as a result of budget projections, bringing the total number of commissioned Federal Way police officers to 129. Coupled with a $1.03 million COPS grant in 2010, the money will help the police department fill a total of seven vacant officer positions. “This grant came at a very important time for us and enables us to continue our proactive community based policing program,� said Chief Brian Wilson in a prepared statement. The police department applied for the grant money, which covers an officer’s salary for three years. The grant also requires Federal Way to fund each position for an additional year. With the 2011 grant, for example, the department will fund three new officers through 2015. The department hopes to enroll these new hires into the police academy by the beginning of 2012, said spokeswoman Cathy Schrock. For more than a year, the police department has not filled officer vacancies [ more POLICE, page 2 ]
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SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION | Update on projects funded by a 2007 bond [5]
VOL. 13, NO. 382
F E D E R A L WAY
DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
OPINION | Hobbs: Hidden rewards of grant money in Federal Way [4] Letters: Shame on Group Health and traffic cameras [4]
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with Sacajawea taking the leadership role in trying to help the Tacoma-area Last year, Sacajawea school close the achieveMiddle School was awarded ment gap. a $30,000 grant from the “Overall, we were asked state Office of the Superinto investigate and share tendent of Public Instruchow we closed the achievetion (OSPI) because of ment gap, and our plan its success in closing for continued work,� the achievement gap Landis said. “In EDUCATION essence, the end in recent years. The achievement outcome was to gap, which describes tell our story, our the disparity in acastory at Sacajawea, demic success between about what we’re doing students along racial and well and what our findings socioeconomic lines, has were.� been a major focus of eduLandis said those cators locally and nationinvolved with this grant wide. project decided to look At the Federal Way at Sacajawea’s core vision School Board meeting Sept. statement. 27, Sacajawea principal “Initially, we returned David Brower, and assistant to our core principles, our principal JoAnne Landis, essential questions. Our explained how that $30,000 Sacajawea vision statement: from the OSPI was spent to prepare our students for last year. success in high school and As part of the grant, beyond, and to be conSacajawea was coupled with tinually asking ourselves. Hudtloff Middle School in Where is the learning the Clover Park District, [ more SACAJAWEA, p. 6 ] BY GREG ALLMAIN
gallmain@fedwaymirror.com
NEWS
City council candidates: 2 debates
Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane grants Federal Way fourth-grader’s wish Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane surprised Alex Bradshaw at a class party Tuesday at Nautilus Elementary School. As part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mebane purchased four season tickets for Alex and his family to attend every home game this season. The Federal Way fourthgrader had his colon removed after battling a life-threatening illness. Read more about Alex and Mebane’s meeting on page 10 in today’s Mirror. CASEY OLSON, The Mirror
t (FOFSBM FMFDUJPO EFCBUFT GPS UISFF DJUZ DPVODJM SBDFT BSF scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 5 at Federal Way High School’s little theater (located at S. 304th Street and Pacific Highway South). Candidates for the three city council races are also invited to a forum 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon at 5XJO -BLFT (PMG BOE $PVOUSZ $MVC t %FCBUFT GPS UXP TDIPPM CPBSE SBDFT UXP -BLFIBWFO Utility District races and two South King fire commissioner races will run 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 12 at Federal Way High School’s little theater. t 'PS B DPNQMFUF MJTU PG 'FEFSBM 8BZ DBOEJEBUFT WJTJU federalwaymirror.com, click on the news tab at the top of the site and select “Elections.� t 4UBZ UVOFE GPS EFCBUF DPWFSBHF JO ć F .JSSPS "OZ questions? Email editor@federalwaymirror.com